Africa-Press – Uganda. Authorities in Kamuli District have called for the strengthening of sexual reproductive health education among adolescents and provision of contraceptives to girls due to the closure of schools.
President Museveni on June 6 ordered the closure of education institutions across the country and suspension of non-essential travel between districts in an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Ms Salaamu Musumba, the former Kamuli District chairperson, at the weekend said although Covid-19 is worrying, stopping teenage pregnancies is urgent.
“The worry is now unwanted children and a bulging population increasing criminality. Our young girls no longer fear HIV/Aids, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), that is why condoms have been discarded; so let us just give them contraceptives,” she said.
Ms Musumba added that since the community cannot look after children, it should give their daughters contraceptives to keep them off pregnancies.
Dr Moses Lyagoba, the assistant district health officer-in-charge of maternal and child health, said records extracted from health facilities between August 2020 and January 2021 indicate that there were at least 3,183 teenage pregnancies out of which only 1,619 deliveries were received and 400 prenatal deaths recorded.
Dr Lyagoba said this suggests that the rest aborted, miscarried or delivered from home under the watch of unqualified staff which increased fistula, caesarian sections and other complications that impact heavily on the health system.
“We need to intensify adolescent sexual reproductive health rights during this lockdown which exposes our teenage girls to risky situations,” he said.
Mr Joseph Waibi, the district education officer, regretted the abrupt closure of schools, saying it has negatively affected the learners, some of whom engage in early sex.
He called for intensive vigilance on the children during the lockdown to avoid school dropouts and unwanted pregnancies.
“Parents have abdicated their roles which leave their children roaming around and get taken up by relatives who send them to risky places at awkward hours. Children, especially the girls, should be monitored, supervised and keenly watched, not left to relatives who send them at awkward hours,” he said.
